


This Is the New Year (A New Beginning)

by Kufikiria



Series: It's Always Been You [14]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, One Shot, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 09:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17241623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kufikiria/pseuds/Kufikiria
Summary: Jake never had the chance to spend New Year’s Eve with a girlfriend he could kiss at midnight before. And now that he has, they’re stuck at work and in a secret relationship.(Canon-divergence; in which Jake and Amy are still in a secret relationship on their first New Year’s Eve as a couple.)





	This Is the New Year (A New Beginning)

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: this fic is intentionally 2019 words long to celebrate the new year lol.
> 
> Anyways, happy New Year’s Eve everyone! I wish you all the best – may it be filled with everything you want (and a lot of Peraltiago scenes ;)).
> 
> This is the ‘everyone can read it’ version of the last chapter from my Advent Calendar.

In the middle of doing his paperwork, Jake dreamily looks up at the clock on the wall and the time it writes: 11:23pm. In exactly thirty-seven minutes, 2015 will be over for good while he’ll barely have gone through half his shift. His eyes fall back on the woman sitting at the opposite desk and he lets out a sigh.

Jake never had the chance to spend New Year’s Eve with a girlfriend he could kiss at midnight before. He was either single or with his partner away for one reason or another – like Sophia was the previous year. And now that he has, they’re stuck at work and in a secret relationship, which means he probably won’t even be able to steal Amy a quick peck on the lips when the first of the twelve strikes chime on all the bells outside and the famous ball drops a few miles away on Times Square.

This is clearly unfair, he thinks as he watches Amy. She’s thoroughly typing a report on her computer with her whole attention focused on the screen and doesn’t seem the least bothered to be working – or if she is, she’s very good at hiding it. It’s been an oddly quiet night so far for such an event and Jake’s at least thankful for that. If nothing more, they’re here together as partners and not sent on different cases across the neighborhood. He’ll still be able to bring her into a hug at midnight with the rest of the squad then. It’s not how he imaged they’d be celebrating but still better than nothing.

The more he looks at Amy, the more his expression softens and his disappointed pout turns into a fond smile. Only a few weeks ago, they went on a date to celebrate their six-month anniversary. Sometimes he still can’t quite believe she’s been willing to cope with him for so long and they’re in a  _real_  relationship when they missed out on each other so often in the past.

Yet here they are. About to start a whole new year as a couple after what has definitely been the best six months of Jake’s life.

Unable to focus on his job any longer, he takes out his phone and searches for his girlfriend’s contact. He then complains to her in a text since he can’t do it out loud.

_i wanna kiss you at midnight…… :(_

He quickly puts his gaze back on Amy after that and waits for her reaction. He looks while her attention switches from her computer to her phone when it buzzes next to her; how a curious frown forms on her features when his name appears on the small screen. She shoots him a quick glance before she opens the text. Despite herself, a smile comes curving up the corners of her mouth as she reads the words.

She sets her eyes back on him, longer this time as they exchange a same knowing – and disappointed – look. Jake can tell the moment an idea pops into her mind when the expression on her features suddenly changes and her face lits up. Amy grabs her phone and starts typing frenetically on it, her eyes scanning the room from time to time to be sure nobody inside the almost empty bullpen is paying any attention to them.

He doesn’t have to wait long to know what her idea is; it’s written on his own phone screen once she’s hit the ‘send’ button.

_Go down to the evidence lockup at 11:50pm. I’ll join you there,_  he reads. He smiles, feeling the excitement already building up in his core as he puts his attention back on his girlfriend and she nods maliciously.

The next twenty-seven minutes are the longest Jake gets to go through in his entire life. He couldn’t focus before but now there’s no need to even try – he’s fidgeting on his seat with anticipation and his eyes keep switching towards the time at the right down corner of his computer every five seconds as if it’s going to make it pass faster. The same thought is running on a loop in his mind.

_He’s going to kiss Amy at midnight._

He literally jerks up from his seat as soon as the clock goes from 11:49 to 11:50pm. He tries to look chill as he passes by Amy – no need to say he fails, grinning at her while she watches him go with what could be defined as the perfect ‘heart-eyes emoji’ look. Really, it’s a miracle they’ve been able to keep their relationship a secret for the past six months given how  _obvious_  they are when they’re around one another.

In all honesty, Jake wouldn’t mind if they came clean to everyone. He’d finally be able to brag out loud about how great his girlfriend is – and how great a boyfriend he’s become as well.

But he’s not so sure how to tell her that yet – just like he hasn’t told her how he  _loves_  her either. He’s still not so good with emotions even if he tries.

Jake is taken out of his reverie as he’s about to take the elevator down to the evidence lockup and meets Charles on his way.

“Where’re you going?” he asks, worried. “It’s almost midnight, you’re gonna miss the countdown!”

Jake thinks quick. “I just need to grab something in the evidence lockup. I’ll be right back.” He takes a step forward, hoping it’ll be enough, but Charles stops him.

The other man doesn’t seem to buy his excuse.

“Can’t it wait?” he insists.

“No?” Jake puts a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. He fights the urge to turn over towards Amy. “Look, Charles, I promise I’ll be back, okay?” He looks up at the clock: 11:52pm. He needs to hurry.

A pause follows these words until Charles gives in. “Okay.” He steps aside to let Jake go.

“Thanks, bud!” He rushes inside the engine.

It’s 11:56pm on his phone’s clock when Jake finally enters the evidence lockup. He quickly scans the place to be sure he’s alone in there then takes a seat on one of the huge cardboard boxes lying around. He searches for a live stream of the Times Square ball drop so that he has something to keep his mind occupied while waiting for his girlfriend as well as a timer before midnight.

He watches as seconds turn into minutes and there’s still no sign of Amy coming into the room. For a moment he starts to fear she won’t make it in time.

Maybe she got stopped by Charles on her way, just like he did – or worse, their captain. Maybe she changed her mind about this definitely non-work appropriate meeting to celebrate going into the New Year just the two of them.

The creaking sound of the door opening takes Jake out of his spiraling thoughts and startles him up at exactly 11:59:02pm.

“Finally!” he can’t help but exclaim when her figure appears in front of him and the tension in his body immediately relaxes at her sight.

“Sorry,” Amy apologizes as she approaches him. “Charles kept me from coming quicker,” she says what Jake already suspected.

“It’s okay.” His voice softens. He watches her with a broad smile and brings his hands up her arms, gently stroking. “You’re right in time for the countdown.”

As if on cue, people inside his phone start counting down through the speakers. “Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

The couple chants along with them, never once turning their gazes away from the other. With each new second passing by anticipation builds stronger in their core.

“Four, three, two, one…”

Their lips touch at the same time the ball drops on the screen and midnight strikes on the clock. They can hear shouts of  _Happy New Year!_  coming from upstairs but barely pay attention to it – they’re too lost in their own intimate celebration, with Jake’s hands on Amy’s back to keep her close to his chest and her own wrapped around his neck.

He couldn’t think of any better way to start the new year than in his girlfriend’s arms, right where they (truly) kissed for the first time about six months earlier.

It’s absolutely perfect.

Until they’re suddenly interrupted in their exchange by a well-known voice calling his name and the door flying open without a warning first.

“Jake, what are you doing, it’s mid–…” Charles is cut short in the middle of his sentence by the image of his colleagues quickly drawing away from one another in front of him. Amy pushes Jake as far away from her as she can.

Charles frowns; his eyes switch from one to the other in suspicion. There’s also a new glint shining inside his gaze as realization hits him.

“Are–… are you guys…” The words get stuck in his throat but the message is crystal clear on his glowing face: he caught them.

Jake glances at Amy. She looks horrified and embarrassed for being seen in such a very unprofessional situation. The tip of her ears is already colored in a new shade of pink. Despite what they’re going through, he can’t help but find her absolutely adorable and feel forever thankful that she wants to be with him.

“Are you guys together?!” Charles finally manages to let the question out. He’s squealing in front of them while waiting for their confirmation.

Before answering, Jake stares more deeply at his girlfriend, silently asking her permission to tell the truth. They both know if they come clean to Charles, the whole squad will be aware of their relationship within minutes too.

It takes a beat of consideration but she eventually nods her agreement with a small inviting smile. He nods back at her before turning towards Charles.

“Yes.”

Something inside his heart warms up at finally being able to acknowledge the truth. He is Amy Santiago’s boyfriend; the lucky guy who gets to be with her. Jake can’t linger into that thought for too long though. The simple word is all it takes for Charles to raise his hands into the air and jump in excitement.

“I knew it!” he lets out a high-pitched scream before taking the couple into a warm hug. “I’m so happy for you, guys. So  _so_  happy,” he repeats as he brings them closer to his chest. Behind him, Jake and Amy exchange an amused look at his reaction. Maybe it’s for the best the truth finally came out. They won’t have to pretend there’s nothing going on between them anymore.

After all, they first came up with this rule not to have to deal with their friends when they were still figuring out what this relationship was themselves. Now, six months into it, they’re well aware of their feelings.

It looks like (and they definitely hope so) it’s going to last at least for a while – it’s about time they share the news with their loved ones then. And what’s a better time than entering a new year to take a new step into their relationship as well?

It’s at least what they tell each other once Charles finally leaves their sides and they find themselves alone in the evidence lockup again.

“You sure you don’t mind people knowing about us?” Jake still asks Amy one last time, just to be extra sure, before they leave the room to go back upstairs with the rest of their squad and back to work.

“Absolutely not,” she doesn’t hesitate this time and assures him with a bright smile before she brings him into another soft kiss. She stares right into his eyes when they part, pausing with her hand on his cheek and a beam still lighting up her face. “Happy New Year, babe,” she eventually says the words they weren’t able to tell each other before because of Charles interrupting their moment.

Jake grins back at her.

“Happy New Year.”

He already knows it’s going to be a great one – he’s got her by his side, after all.


End file.
